Environmental Assessment of Energy Usage Strategies for Magnesium Production Using the Pidgeon Process

Based on three scenarios of different energy usage strategies,a quantitative evaluation of the environment load caused by magnesium production using the Pidgeon process in China was carried out according to the theory and framework of LCA study.The results showed that the fuel used in the process was the major contributor to the pollutants emission of magnesium production.Global warming potential and acidification potential make the main contribution to the accumulative environmental impact.The different fuel use strategies in the practice of magnesium production caused many different impacts on the environmental performance.The accumulative environmental load of coal burned directly(Scenario 1) was highest,and that of Scenario 2 and Scenario 3 decreased respectively by 9.3% and 29.5% comparing with the result of Scenario 1.